§ Sir G. Schusterasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether sufficient progress has yet been made with steam wagons, producer-gas lorries or coal-gas cars, to justify any hope that post-war motor transport in Great Britain can make substantial use of home produced coal; and if not, what steps are being taken to expedite large scale research and development in this field.
Major Lloyd GeorgeAs a result of experimental and development work sponsored by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Mines Department before, and in the earlier part of, the war, and of the scheme operated in the last two years by the Ministry of War Transport, considerable experience has now been obtained of the use in this country of producer-gas for road transport. Present information, however (including the experience to which I have referred), does not suggest that road transport in this country is likely to make652W substantial use of home-produced solid fuel after the war for this purpose or of steam wagons and coal-gas cars, so long as liquid fuel is available at a reasonable price. The question of further research and development in this field is under consideration in connection with the general programme of post-war fuel research.